Rising to the occasion

Time to step up my game with Big Head out of town. It's not everyday you get the opportunity to lead an operation with the prestige that Mizzourah has and when you do you best not blow it. Fortunately, links were a dime a dozen this afternoon:

• Even if Aaron Crow doesn't sign with the Washington Nationals he will not be a Missouri Tiger next season. If the Nats drop the ball he plans to sign with the Fort Worth Cats of the American Association. Oh well, you had to assume the odds of him somehow returning to Columbia weren't very high. Lets get the Kyle Gibson Show started.

• Defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson, who has verbally committed to MU but wavered in his decision, moved from 88th to 22nd in the Rivals100 by running a 4.7 40. That also gained him a fifth star on his ranking. If he does end up in Columbia it will be the second straight year Gary Pinkel's staff has landed a five-starer. Thanks to our associates at Rock M for that one. 

• Kellen Winslow was hired as the athletic director at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio. He will lead the school into full NCAA Division II membership in the fall. What makes this university think they can just call themselves Central State U? Shouldn't they be obligated to add the Ohio into the name? Wouldn't that clear up a lot of confusion?

• A couple Ben Askren updates: 1. He plans on getting a haircut and his fans unfortunately will not be rocking the "Putting the Chin in China" t-shirts as to not offend the Chinese government. 2. You're not gonna believe this but a couple other wrestlers for Team USA have found Ben to be a little bit cocky. How uncharacteristic of Ben.

• Vahe Gregorian has a nice piece on Mizzou's other olympian, shot putter Christian Cantwell. There's apparently a weird little feud between Cantwell and his teammate Reese Hoffa:

"...Adam Nelson and Reese Hoffa, once a close friend who incensed Cantwell earlier this year when he declined to assist him in a jam. After a new shot Cantwell ordered failed to arrive in time for the U.S. Indoor Track and Field championships in February, Hoffa refused to bring his extra shot when Cantwell called to ask him a favor.

While they are competitors, they had been more: Cantwell was in Hoffa's wedding, and they vacationed together last fall in Las Vegas.

Using rage as motivation, Cantwell won the meet and later told the Post-Dispatch, 'It's a shame he would jeopardize a friendship for something that trivial.'"

• An impressive showing by the Team USA basketball team this morning. My biggest concern is still how well they're going to be able to score out of their half court offense. When they're able to force turnovers and dictate the tempo like they were today then everything's gravy. But eventually one of their opponents is going to be able to handle that pressure defense and when they do we'll get to see how effective Coach K is at teaching a zone offense to professionals with only one pure shooter on the roster. It was encouraging to see them defend very well against Greece's pick-and-roll. That's something the Americans have struggled with in the past but Chris Bosh was an absolute force on the defensive end using his quickness to render that play completely ineffective. Dwayne Wade may have had the most highlights but Chris Bosh was today's MVP. It will be interesting to see how Team USA fares against Spain and their lightning quick point guard, Jose Caldreon.